NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – J.R. Smith is off to a fantastic start for the undefeated Knicks, providing an invaluable scoring punch off the bench.

So what has changed from one year to the next?

To put it simply, the 27-year-old has matured.

After Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged that the 27-year-old has become “more professional” this season, the New Jersey native admitted that he has toned down his partying as compared to last season.

“I’m not going to lie,” Smith said in regard to his routine last season. “The New York City nightlife pretty much got to me. I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand.”

“Every day I’m getting into the gym, getting in as much work as I can,’’ Smith said. “A lot of times, previously in my career, I had negative energy coming into the gym — not wanting to be there, joking around, goofing off. This year, it’s been more serious. I understand every road trip we take is a work trip, not just a play trip. You come and work hard. If I work hard, maybe the next guy will see me work hard. ”

It’s quite a turnaround in philosophy for the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder. According to Woodson, the former first-round pick of the New Orleans Hornets is wearing suits to games as opposed to sagging jeans.

And more importantly, he’s realizing that it takes more than talent to succeed at the highest level.

“I thought I could get by on talent a lot more than I thought,” Smith said. “I’m trying to think the game, taking my time, slowing it down. So far it’s been working. I’m trying to stick with it as much as I can.’’